Cuban Beef Style Picadillo

I love olives, so much so that I am known to eat them out of the jar, Green Manzanilla olives being my absolutely favourite, I just love their salty unique flavour. Great in salads, in pasta, with any type of protein.

So without any surprise, one of my favourite recipes to make is Cuban Beef Style Picadillo. If you have never tried this amazing dish, then boy are you missing out.

It reminds me of a corned beef hash but with much more flavour and a perfect hearty meal for any day of the week.

Traditional Cuban Beef Picadillo

I make no claims that my version is anything like a traditional Cuban Beef Picadillo. Sadly I have no Cuban roots in my family, so my own take on this yummy recipe is inspired by many different versions I have tried along the way, tweaking it to my own taste and flavourings.

Spices in Cuban Beef Picadillo

There is nothing complicated or unique in my version of this recipe, so no need to go out and hunt down any hard to find ingredients, it’s all stuff that the majority of us have in our store cupboard or pantry.

The basic herbs/spices I use are:

oregano (dried) – no need to worry about using fresh, dried is perfectly fine.

chilli (chili) powder – not the hot Indian varieties, this is more like the Mexican style chilli (which has a blend of spices like paprika, cumin etc as one of the ingredients), it’s not an ingredient you tend to see in picadillo, but I like to add it for a bit of extra flavour.

cumin – ground is best for this recipe.

and then of course just some basic sea salt and black pepper for seasoning. I recommend these for most recipes. Food should never be bland if you always taste and season at the end to desired taste. A little salt and black pepper enhance flavours in any dish.

Vegetables in Cuban Beef Picadillo

You can literally add whatever you like vegetable wise to this dish, it is a great throw all in one pan recipe.

My perfect choice is potatoes, tomatoes peppers, onion and zucchini (courgette) it bulks out the dish and makes it delicious, healthy and hearty.

For the potatoes, go for a waxy variety not floury. Floury potatoes tend to disintegrate into this style of dish, whereas waxy varieties hold their shape and have a much better flavour.

My favourites are Yukon Gold (USA and Canada) and the closest to those in the UK is the Elfe Potato, but use another variety of waxy potato if you can’t find either.

If you are trying to be healthier and keep lower carb, you could swap out the potatoes for butternut squash it would add a lovely sweetness to this dish. I personally would add a little heat though if you do this, just to balance out the sweetness, maybe by adding in a pinch of cayenne.

Can I use canned tomatoes?

Yes if you don’t have fresh by all means use some canned chopped tomatoes, just be aware the final result will be slightly different.

Canned tomatoes don’t yield the same kind of sauce that fresh will and they are also slightly acidic too when canned.

Types of Olive in Cuban Beef Picadillo

Any green olive is fine, I personally don’t like this dish with black olives.

Either pitted green olives or those stuffed with pimentos are my favourites.

Sides for Cuban Beef Picadillo

If you want to dig into a bowl of this just as it is, feel free. It tasty served straight from the pan.

Other great sides are rice or if you are trying to be healthier, I love it with this Roasted Cauliflower Rice. Don’t be put off trying cauliflower rice again if the only way you have cooked it is in a microwave so it fills the house with an aroma that is not too pleasant.

Roasted Cauliflower is the best and is the only way I cook it nowadays. Roasting it gives it a lovely flavour and its the perfect side to this Cuban Beef Picadillo.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender and liquid has reduced down. If liquid has not reduced down after this time, heat is too low.

Stir in the zucchini (courgette) for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Taste and season as needed. Olives are quite salty, so you shouldn't need much salt.

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro (coriander) and serve with your choice of sides.

Enjoy!!

Notes

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendly

Slimming World - 2.5 syns per serving

Green WW Smart Points - 6 per serving

Blue WW Smart Points - 6 per serving

Purple WW Smart Points - 5 per serving

Gluten Free - use gluten free stock

*SUITABLE FOR FREEZING

If you wish to share this recipe, then please do so by using the share buttons provided.

Do not screenshot content or post recipe or content in full. All images and content on Slimming Eats are copyright protected.

Nutritional information, syn values, points etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.

It is the responsibility of the Reader to assure the products or ingredients they use in any recipes from Slimming Eats are allergen-free (gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free and/or dairy-free, for example). Slimming Eats assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatement about products, opinions or comments on this site.

Check Legal section, for Full Disclaimer, Disclosure and Privacy Policy.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did you make this recipe?

It is the responsibility of the Reader to assure the products or ingredients they use in any recipes from Slimming Eats are allergen-free (gluten-free, egg-free and/or dairy-free, for example) or Vegetarian friendly. Slimming Eats assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatement about products, opinions or comments on this site.

Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only

Looking for some additional support on your weight loss journey? Did you know Slimming Eats has a friendly Slimming World Facebook Support Group where you can get daily meal ideas and recipe ideas? Come and check us out, we’d love to have you join.

Looking for some other recipes? Head on over to my RECIPE INDEX for over 900 Slimming World & Weight Watchers recipes for you to browse through, all fully searchable by meal type, Ingredients, syn value and WW Smart Points etc

If you wish to share this recipe, then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post recipe or content in full.

* Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” Check Legal section, for Full Disclaimer, Disclosure and Privacy Policy.